Job Security 0

When I was younger and dumber, I worked for a company called Elite Event Security. It was my first job, in fact. Right after fucking up my first go at college, I got hired. Training involved being given a set of procedures on making a citizens arrest and being told when lunch breaks would be handed out.

Most of my coworkers were marines making extra money on leave. I was the goofy looking college kid with a grin and an open schedule. I got on well with them. I drank with them after Chargers games. Smoked with them. I showed up on time, shaved and showered. I didn't pick fights  but I didn't run from them either. I worked the big events - football, baseball. Conventions. Got sucker-punched coming down the stairs onto the main concourse at a Raiders game. Spent the rest of the month working at the office so the clients wouldn't ask questions about my black eye.

I got promoted. Bought a pair of handcuffs and a can of mace. Spent most of my time handing out lunch breaks and filling out paperwork. Started working the smaller venues. Got punched some more breaking up moshpits and throwing folks out of shows. Broke the tip of my nose when I took an elbow there. Paramedic said it'd heal itself. It did. Cartilage still has a tiny split there, though.

Met a girl. Beautiful goddamn girl. She worked for me and I worked for her. Lisa. I talked and smiled and she had the judo. We moved in together. The money wasn't great, but we got by. We drank a lot. I showed up late to a few shifts. Got cracked upside the back of the head by some asshole's steeltoe breaking up a pit at a metal show. Blacked out for a full three minutes. Paramedic said I was fine.

Spent the weekends drunk. On the beach. Museums, sometimes. I smoked Marlboro Reds and she stole drags.

Worked Cochella. Two seventeen hour shifts over two days. Showed up at dawn and worked til closing time, then did the same the next day. Bought my truck with the proceeds. Met Oasis too, but they were assholes. Shook Dave Grohls hand, but he was drunk.

Kept drinking. Broke up with Lisa when she left the country, heading back home to the Ukraine. I could have married her. She asked. She could have stayed with me. (Smokestained apartment and dead-end job and binges.)

I don't know why I said no.

But I'm glad I did.